Coroner says 93-year-old died from hypothermia from prolonged exposure to the cold

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An elderly Lehigh County man died Thursday from hypothermia caused by prolonged exposure to the cold after his home lost power during Hurricane Sandy, the county coroner’s office said Friday.

Authorities found Luther Fritzinger, 93, dead at his home on the 1000 block of Mosser Road in Upper Macungie Township, Pa., at about 1 p.m.

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“Fritzinger was found deceased in his garage yesterday and had prolonged exposure to the cold following power outages associated with Hurricane Sandy that began Monday evening,” said a release from the coroner.

NBC10 meteorologist Sheena Parveen says temperatures dipped in that area down to 40 degrees and possibly into the upper 30s overnight Wednesday into Thursday.

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Fritzinger’s death was ruled accidental as the investigation by the Berks-Lehigh Regional Police Department continues.